Machine for making cement blocks.



J. M. OROGKER & F. TAPPAN.

MACHINE FOR MAKING CEMENT BLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1912.

1,101,41 3. Patented June 23, 1914. l 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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'J. M. GROOKER & PVTA-PPAN. MACHINE FOR MAKING CEMENT BLOCKS.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 25, 1912.

1,101,413. Patented June 23, 1914.

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J. M. (ROCKER & F. TAPPAN.

MACHINE FOR MAKING CEMENT BLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1912.

1, 1 01,413. Patented Juhe 23, 1914.

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ITED PATENT ()FFICE.

JOHN M. CROCKER AND FRANK TAPPAN, OF COLD'WATER, MICHIGAN.

MACHINE FOR MAKING CEMENT BLOCKS.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that we, JOHN M. 0110011131! and FRANK TAPPAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Goldwater, in the county of Branch and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Cement Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to cement block machines, and particularly to a machine for forming the blocks shown in United States Patent No. 1,011,753 granted to us December 12, 1911.

The object of this invention is to provide a machine of this character which will mold plane blocks of this type of full length, or half length, or corner blocks.

An important object is to provide novel means for releasing the sides of the mold from engagement with the completed block.

Another object is to provide a device of this character'which will be cheap in its manufacture, simple in its operation, and eflicient and durable in service.

Other objects and advantages will be made apparent in the course of the following description.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this specification and in which the numerals are used to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views: Figure 1 is a side view of the machine ready to mold a block, showing one block already molded, Fig. 2 is a top plan thereof, Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of the mold detached, Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section thereof, Fig. 5 is a cross section on line y y of Fig. 3, Fig. 6 is a cross section on line wx of Fig. 3, Fig. 7 is a top plan of the mold detached showing the sides and ends swung out, Fig. 8 is a side view of the mold with corner attachment, Fig. 9 is an end view of the same, Fig.10 is a plan view of the corner section detached, Fig. 11. is a view of the bolt inserting bar, Fig. 12 is a view of a plane block, and'Fig. 13 is a view of a corner block.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a stand or support for the mold structure 2. The stand 1 comprises legs 3 and platforms 4 and 5, the platform 4 being upon a higher level than the, platform 5. The platform 5 1s provided with a cut out portion 6 for a purpose'to be described.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 25, 1912.

Patented June 23, 1914. Serial No. 711,533.

The mold structure comprises a bottom plate 7, side plates 8, and end plates 9. The bottom plate 7 may have its inner surface formed as a face plate, or we may provide a face plate 10 detachably secured thereto in any suitable manner. Any style of face plate may be used as desired. The walls or plates 8 are provided with grooves 10 into which a division plate 11 may be inserted in order to mold shorter blocks. WVhen this division plate is used, a double face plate 12 is used as shown in Fig. 7

The end plates 9 are rigidly connected with angle members 13 which are hingedly connected with extensions 14 on plates 15', as shown at 16. The plates 15 are adapted to slide in guides 17 secured upon the plate 7. Secured upon the slidable plates 15 are nuts 18 engaging oppositely screw-threaded portions 19 and 20 formed on a longitudinally extending rod 21. The rod 21 is provided with an operating handle 22. It will be readily seen that by turning the rod to the left the plates 15 will be moved outwardly carrying the end plates 9 with them, thus releasing them from engagement with the edges of the bottom plate 7.

The side walls 8 are rigidly secured to angle members 23 which are in turn hingedly secured to extensions 24 on plates 25, as shown at 26. The plates 25 are adapted to be moved outwardly in guide brackets 27. To accomplish this movement a nut 28 is provided, having laterally extending arms 29 provided with depending pins or studs 30 in engagement with inclined slots 31 formed in the plates 25. The nut 28 is engaged by a screw-threaded portion 32 on the rod 21.

It will be seen that by turning the rod 21 to the left the nut 28 will be drawn along in the direction of the arrow. On account of the engagement of the pins 30 with the slots 31, the plates 25 will be moved out wardly carrying the side plates 8 out of engagement with the bottom plate 7.

In order to prevent longitudinal movement of the rod 21, a collar 38 isprovided thereon engaged within a recess formed in a block 34c secured upon the bottom plate 7. Owing to the hinge connections 16 and 26, the sides 8 and ends 9 may be swung down as shown in Fig. 7. Mounted upon the bottom 7 are blocks 34 to which are secured 7 released.

bars 35 which are 'hingedly connected as shown at 36, with bars 87 secured upon the support 1.

In order to 12, the sides and ends of the mold are set vertically, the rod 21 is turned so as to bring the sides and ends into engagement with the edges of the bottom plate, and the sides and ends are locked together. The sides 8 are provided with keepers 38, adapted to be engaged by latches 39 pivotally mount ed upon the ends9 as shown at 40. The inner ends of the latches are connected as shown at all. By this structure it will be seen that by releasing a latch on either end 9, the other latch on the same end is also After the mold is thus set up, concrete is poured in and tamped until the mold is full. In order to form the grooves 42 in the block l3, we use a bar 44 shown in Fig. 11, provided with openings 45, which is adapted to seat in recesses or notches 4-6 in the side walls 8 of the mold. Bolts 42'? have their ends inserted within the openings 45 in the bar 4:4. A ter the cement is in the mold, the bars 4:4 carrying the bolts l? are pushed down upon the cement until they seat in the recesses i6. This embeds the bolts in the cement and forms the grooves 42. A pallet 43 is then placed over the mold, and is held in place by the operator at the same time the mold is swung over onto the lower platform 5. The rod 21 serves as the lever for turning the mold over upon the hinge joints 36. The cut out portion (3 is to provide space for the operators hand or arm. To release the mold from the block, the latches 39 are released from en.- gagement with the keepers 38, the rod 21 is turned to move the side and end plates 8 and 9 out of engagement with the molded block, and the mold is swung back upon the higher platform where it may be refilled.

When it is desired to form a corner block as shown in Fig. 13, an auxiliary mold 4:8 is provided. This auxiliary mold comprises four plates 4-9, 50, 51 and 52 hingedly connected as shown. Adjacent one edge of the plate 4&9 is a keeper 53 adapted to be engaged by a latch 54 adjacent one edge of the plate 52. This auxiliary mold is mounted at one end of t 1e mold 2, and is held in place by engagement of lugs 55 on the plates 49, 50 and 51. with the walls 8 and one end 9 of the mold 2. A face plate 56 is inserted to form the proper face on the block.-

We have illustrated a preferred embodiment of our invention, but it will be readily understood that various changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or limiting the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is:

form a block as shown in Fig.

1. In a cement block machine, a mold comprising a bottom plate, plates slidable longitudinally of said bottom plate in guides secured thereon, other plates Slidable trans. versely of said bottom plate in guidesse screw-threaded portions, nut members se- 7 cured on two of said slidable plates and engaging two of sa1d screw-threaded portions,

and means disposed on the remainingscrewthreaded portion and engaging the other two slidable plates for moving them.

2. In a cement block machine, a mold comprising a bottom plate, plates slidable in guides secured on said bottom plate, side and end plates connected with said slidable plates, and means for moving said slidable plates, said means comprising a shaft jou'r naled against longitudinal movement on said bottom plate, oppositely disposed screwthreadedportions formed on said shaft adjacent its ends, a screw-threaded portion formed centrally of said shaft, nut members secured on two of said slidable plates and engaging said first named screw-threaded portions, and a member disposed on said central screw-threaded portion, wedging means on said last named member, and means to be engaged, by said wedging means to wedge the remaining slidable plates out wardly. 1

3. In a cement block machine, a mold comprising a bottom plate, plates slidable in guides on said bottom plate, side and end plates connected with said slidable plates, and meansfor moving said slidable plates, said means comprising a shaft provided with a central screw-threaded portion and oppositely disposed screw-threaded portions adjacent its ends, nut members secured on two of said slidable plates and engaging said end screw-threaded portions, inclined surfaces on the remaining slidable plates, and a nut member disposed on the central screw-threaded portion, and means on said last named nut member to engage said inclined surfaces.

t. In a cement block machine, a mold com prising a bottom plate, guides mounted on said bottom plate, slidable plates mounted in said guides, two of said slidable plates being provided with inclined slots, a nut member provided with projections engaging said slots, a shaft mounted against longitudinal movement on said bottom plate and provided with a screw-threaded portion engaging said nut member, side plates con-- nected with said two slidable plates, nut members connected withthe other, two of said slidable plates and engaged by oppositely disposed screw-threaded portions on said shaft, and end plates connected with said last named slidable plates; said bottom plate being hingedly secured upon a support comprising twoplatforms, one on a higher level than the other.

In a cement block machine, a mold comprising a bottom plate, guides mounted on said plate, plates slidably mounted in said guides, side plates connected with two of the slidable plates, said two slidable plates being provided with inclined slots engaged by projections on a nut member disposed above said two slidable plates, a shaft provided with a screw-threaded portion engaging said nut member, means for turning said shaft, means for preventing longitudinal movement of said shaft, end plates connected with the other two slidable plates, nut members mounted on said second named slidable plates engaged by oppositely disposed screw-threaded portions of said shaft.

6. In a cement block machine, a mold com prising a bottom plate, guides mounted on said bottom plate, plates slidably mounted in said guides, side plates connected with two of the slidable plates and provided with notches in their edges for the reception of tie rods, said two slidable plates being provided with inclined slots, a nut member disposed below said two slidable plates, projec tions on said nut member engaging said slots, a shaft provided with a screw-threaded portion engaging said nut member, means for turning said shaft, means for preventing longitudinal movement of said shaft, end plates connected with the other two of said slidable plates, and nut members mounted on said last named slidable plates and engaged by oppositely disposed screw-thread ed portions of said shaft.

7. In a cement block machine, a mold comprising a bottom plate, guides mounted on said bottom plate, plates slidably mounted in said guides, side plates hingedlyconnected with two of said slidable plates, said two slidable plates being provided with inclined slots, a nut member disposed below said slidable plates, projections on said nut member in engagement with said inclined slots, a shaft mounted on said bottom plate and provided with a screw-threaded portion in engagement with said nut member, end plates hingedly connected with the other two of said slidable plates, nut members mounted on said last named slidable plates and engaged by oppositely disposed screw-threaded portions of said shaft.

8. In a cement block machine, a mold comprising a bottom plate, longitudinally eX- teuding guides secured on said bottom plate, transversely extending guides secured on said bottom plate, plates slidable in said longitudinal guides, plates slidable in said transverse guides and provided with inclined slots, upstanding end and side plates hingedly connected with said first and last named slidable plates respectively, releasable means for securing said side and end plates in their closed position, and means for moving said slidable plates, said means comprising a shaft journaled on said bottom plate and incapable of longitudinal move ment thereon, oppositely arranged screwthreaded portions formed on said shaft adjacent its ends, nut members secured on said first named slidable plates and engaging said screw-threaded portions, a screw-threaded portion formed centrally on said shaft, a nutmember disposed on and engaging said central screw-threaded portion, and projections on said last named nut member disposed in said inclined slots formed in said second named slidable plates.

9. In a cement block machine, a mold having a bottom, sets of slideways on said bottom, one set for each side and end of the mold, plates fitted to and movable in said slideways, a mold side or end hinged to each plate, means for moving the plates into and out of position on the said bottom, and means for securing the sides and ends of the mold in molding position when the said plates are moved into position.

In testimony whereof we hereto afiix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN M. CROC'KER. FRANK TAPPAN. Vitnesses B. W. BARLOW, GRACE W. BARRON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Sommissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0. 

